Lighter



Uct. 26, 1943. l. FLORMAN 2,332,556

LIGHTER Filed Feb. 19, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 i. FLORMAN LIGHTER Filed Feb. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 etienne oa. ze, i943 2,332,566

iJNiTED STATS iiATENTl OFFICE LIGHTER lirvng Florman, New York, N. Y. Application February 19, 1942, Serial No.431,572 V1o claims. (ci. ca -4.1) This invention relates to lighters and especially Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the lighting mechto table lighters cf the pyrophoric type. y anism of the torch member.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections on the lines vide a lighter of this type which is convenienty and -G and 5 5 respectively 4oilig. 3; and l easy to operate, and which is fully effective. A Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionon the line 6-6 of In the past, most types of table lighters, that is Fig. 4. Y -l lighters formed in two parts consisting of a base The base of the lighter maybe of any suitable and a torch member removably mounted in the size and shape, and is shown in the drawings, as base, have operated through some cooperation an ornamental glass bottle 2 having a metal capV between the base and the torch mount. In other l 1i. This Cap iS provided With a Central Opening Words, either `the lighter was operated duringy forming an entrance to a metal tube 6 which removal of the torch, which requiredaheavy base, extends inwardly into k'the base 2. It should be or the holding of the base` with one hand; or the understoodhowever that any type 0f bese having lighter after removal from the base has required an Opening into a Chamber or ,Welly therein would Some Sort of Contain; with a Cooperating part on come within the contemplation o'-fthe invention; the base to cause it to ignite. The primaryobject rhe torch member has a body composed ofxa of the presentinvention is to provide a base type tube VClosed by a Wall l0 at one end. The other lighter in which the torch member is operative end iS provided With an external thread i2. 1n when removed from the base Without any cooperthe neghberhOOd 0f, but SpaCed from this second ation with the base, and entirely independently end is o. transverse plate member lli. Thsppate thereof; although the torch may be extinguished member however does not entirely enclose the by returning it to its position in the base, Y casing, but provides an abutment for retaining the A further object of the invention is to provide @Otton wadding i6 for holding fuel. Fuel may be a torch` type of mechanism in which the, lighter Supplied 150 the Wedding by peulng il; iltO the end body is held between the second and third fingers OI" the Casing spesi the Wall H. and the lighting is caused by pressure of the Mounted on the closed endl@ oi the casingiS a thumb. More particularly, the invention contemplate I8 having upstanding ears 2e. Extending. plates a. lighter construction having an elongated tillfOugll bOih the Plate i3 and the i301) Wall i0 is a body adapted to be engaged between the second wick tube 22 in which is mounted "a suitable wick and third fingers and provided with a-iiange forni-,- 24 Which' extends downwardly into the cotton Iii mg an abutment for engagement by these ngers, to receive fuel therefrom. LikewiseV extending with a button on the opposite side of the Yflange. through Plate I3 and Well "aandai its other end engageable by the vthumb and connected to the ihIOugh Wall i4, iS aiht tube 26 closed at its lighting mechanism so as to operate the lighter inner end by al threaded plug 23 and COIleiIling e when depresse@ coil spring 30 pressing outwardly a flint 32.v Flint Still another object of the .invention is to pro- 32 engages ihe Surface 0f a int Wheel fill `rotat- Vvide in a. lighter of this kind a snap action mechaably mounted 0n a Shaft 36 in the eers 29 msm controlled by the thumb button which Likewise riveted on Shaft 3e is a U-,shapecl creates a strong spark capable of igniting theV Operating member having legs 33 and iii lour- Wck- More especially, the invention echtemnailed on theshaft 3B and aconnecting wallffi on plates a pawl connection between the button and 'theDPOSe Side from the'WCk 2e Leg 38 has a the sparking Wheel, with a special construction poectmg pafwl member M egngageable with teeth for maintaining the pawl in proper position after m m the adJaCent fac? of the ntwheeliia s0 each Operation l that Whenthe'leg eens `.turned in one direction Further objects and advantages of the invention (Cllfkwse lf Flg 4) i il.' Wm rotate the mnt Whegl' will appear more fully from the following descrip- Wr l e l Wn mpve Healy mier time mt Wheel when turned in the opposite direction. non: partlcularly When taken 1n Combinati-19u Wlth Between the leg [it] and the other end of tre flint the accompanying drawings, Which form a Part wheel Sii is a coil spring 48 having one elndfll UheFeOf- Y Y 50 engaged against the ear 28, and the other end 52 In the drawings: Y engaged over the top of thevvall 42. This spring Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, with parts broken tends to turn the U-shaped member clockwise in away, a lighter embodying my invention. Fig. 4, in a vdirection to turn wheel 34 and thu Fig. 2 shows in side elevation the torch member throw sparks from int 32 onto Wick 24. V in operated position. Y Y. .Y Slidably mountedin a tube llin the top wal1 lil and plate I8, and also in the wall it, is a rod 5. At the end opposite the lighting mechanism this rod carries an inwardly extending arm 53 provided with a centering pin 69. A coil spring S2 engaged between arm 58 and plate lll urges rod 55 away from the lighting mechanism (downwardly in Fig. 4). Centering pin Si! engages in a conical base portion 64 of a pin or button 66 slidable in a `closure d8 which is threaded on the thread I2 and thus closes the body 8. At its upper end in Fig. 4, rod 55 has a slot in which is mounted on a pivot l!) a pawl member having a portion 'l2 located. below a notch 'Ed in the back wall 42 of the U`- shaped member and an opposite portion 'I6 en.- gageable with the flanged upper end 18 of the tube 5t. v

The mechanismL thus described operates as follows:

When tion shown in Fig. 1, it is pushing upwardly'on buttonV 66. This pushes n upwardly on rod 5G. Pawl section 'i2 engages notch 14, and as the button 66 is advanced the U-shaped member is turned counter-clockwise in Fig. 4 through approximately 75. Eventually, in its turning motion, the back wall 42 moves to the left in Fig. 4 sufciently to disengage itself from the pawl endv l2. Spring 1&8 then rotates the U-shaped member rapidly :in a clockwise direction. Pawl 44. engaging teeth i6 A turns flint wheel 3,4 with the Ul-shaped memberand throws a spark from the flint onto the wick, thus igniting the wick. e

When the pressure of the thumb is released, pawl end 'l2 engages the upper edge of Wall 42 and is tilted enough (clockwise inFig. 4) to slide down past the wall to its normalposition as the rod 56 returns under the action of spring. G2. However, when the rod 56 reaches its lowermost position, the pawl portionl 'i6 Yengages flange 18 ofY tube 5F and turns end E2 back to a position beneath the notch ld. The parts Aare thus restored to their starting position, butv the torch remains lit although the thumb is notmaintained on the button' 66.

To extinguish the torch, it is only, necessary to restore it to 'the' base 2, from which it can readily be removed for a further operation.

While I have described herei'nfsomeV embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby, vexcept within the sco-pe ofthe appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A lighter comprising an elongated casing having a fuel reservoir therein and havinga lighting end and a handle end', saidcasing having a portion adjacent `the handle end of a size to be grasped between two adjacent fingers and an'enlarged part between such portionand the handle end toform an abutment for the fingers', a wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a flint wheel rotatablymountedI on the lighting end, means to hold a flint against said wheel, a rod slidably mounted inY the casing andl extending longitudinally thereof, said` rod projecting beyond the lighting end of the casing, a member pivoted to turn onthesame axis as said flint wheel, a one-way connection between said member and said-hint wheel whereby when said member moves in one flint wheel to'ignite the wick;

to-move the member' in such direction, apawl the torch is within the base in the posi@ direction it turns saidv 'a1 spring tending" 'said member moves in one carried by said rod engageable with themember to move it in the opposite direction against the action of the spring when the rod is pushed` outwardly from `the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the iiint wheel to ignite the wick, a second spring acting on said rod to return thevsame into the casing, said pawl in such return movement engaging said member and being tilted aside thereby, means engageable with said pawl after it passes the member in such return movement to tilt, it to a position to engage said member on the next operating movement of the rod, and means at the handle end of the casing engageable by the thumb when'two adjacent iingers grip such portion to move the rod.

2."`A lighter comprising an elongated casing having! a fuel reservoir therein and having a lighting end and a handle end, said casing having a portion adjacent the handle end of a size to be grasped `between enlarged part between handle Vend to form an abutment for the fingers, a wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a flint wheel rotatably mounted on the lighting end, means to hold a flint against said wheel, a rod' slidably mounted in the/casing and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod projecting beyond' the lighting end of ther casing, a member pivoted to turn on the v same axis as said iiint wheel, whereby when said member moves in one direction itturns said flint 1 wheel to ignite the wick, a .spring 'tending' to move the memberr in such'direction, a pawl carried by` said rod' engageable with'the 'member to move it in the oppositedirectionagainst the ac'-,

tion of therspring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to'release 'the same sothe member and turns the flint wheel to ignite the wick, a second spring acting; on said rod to return the same into the casing, said pawl in'such-4 return movement engaging said member and beingA tilted aside thereby, means engageable with said pawll after it passes'thel member in such return movement to tilt it to aposition to engage said member onthe next operating movement of the rod',V abutt'on slidablymounted in the handle end' of the casing engageable by the thumb when y two adjacent fingers gri-p such-portion, and means` operatively connecting said button to said rod..`

3. A lighter comprisingan elongated casing having a fuel reservoir therein andhaving a lighting end and a handle end, said' casing having a portion adjacent grasped between two adjacent ngers and an enlarged part between such portion andthe handle end to form an abutmentfor the'` fingers, a wick extending from. within` the 'fuel'reservoir through.

the lighting. end, a flint wheel. rotatably mounted.

on the lighting end, means to'holdyal int againstA said wheel, a rod slidably mounted in the casing sad-rfid projecting beyond the lighting end ofthe. ca ing,

and extending longitudinally thereof,

a member pivoted to. turn oni the same axis'as saidA flint wheel', a one-way connection' between.v

said Vmember and' the iiin'twheel, whereby when flint wheel to n e e to move the member i-nsuch direction," a -pawl pivoted on said rod'ou havin-g a section engageable with: the member wtoK move it in the opposite direction' against the* actWo .adjacentv fingers and an f such portion andthe e that said spring moves the handle end ofasize to be" direction it turns said ignite the wick,jaspring tending tion of the spring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said section on continued movement of the rod moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the flint wheel to ignite the wick, asecond spring acting on said rod to return the same into the casing, said pawl section in such return movement engaging said member and being tilted aside thereby, said pawl having a secondsection engageable with the lighting end after 'the first section passes the member in its return movement to tilt the rst section to a position to engage said member on the next operating movement of the rod, and means at the handle end of the casing engageable by the thumb when two adjacent lingers grip such portion to move the rod.

4. In a lighter, a casing having a lighting end l and a fuel reservoir therein, a wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a flint wheel rotatably mounted on the lighting end, means to hold a flint against said Wheel, a rod slidably mounted in the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod projecting beyond the lighting end or" the casing, a movable member on the lighting end, a one- Way connection between said member and the flint wheel whereby when said membermoves in one direction it turns said flint wheely to ignite the wick, a spring tending to move the member in such direction, a pawl carried by said rod engageable with the member to move it in the opposite direction against the action of the spring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the hint wheel to ignite the Wick, and means to move the rod.

5. In a lighter, a casing having a lighting end and a fuel reservoir therein, a Wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a flint Wheel rotatably mounted on the lighting end, means to hold a flint against said wheel, a rod slidably mounted in the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod projecting beyond the lighting end of the casing, a member pivoted to turn on the same axis as said vflint wheel, a one-way connection between said member and the flint wheel whereby when said member moves in one direction it turns said flint wheel to ignite the wick, a spring tending to move the member in such direction, a pawl carried by said rod engageable with the member to move it in the opposite direction against the action of the spring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the int Wheel to ignite the wick, and means to move the rod.

6. In a lighter, a casing having a lighting end and a fuel reservoir therein, a wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a hint wheel rotatably mounted on the lighting end, means to hold a flint against said wheel, a rod slidably mounted in the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod projecting beyond the lighting end of the casing, a member pivoted to turn on the same axis as said int wheel, a one-way connection between said member and the flint wheel whereby when said member moves in one direction it turns said flint wheel to ignite the Wick, a spring tending to move the member in such direction, a pawl carried by said rod engageable with the member to move it in the opposite direction against the action of the spring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the memberand turns the flint wheel to ignite the wick, a second spring acting on said rod to return the same into the casing, said pawl in such return movement engaging .said member and being tilted aside thereby, means engageable with `said pawl after it passes the member in such return movement to tilt it to a position to engage said member on the next operating movement of the rod, and means to move the rod.

7. In a lighter, a casing having a lighting end and a fuel reservoir therein, a Wick extending from within the fuel reservoir through the lighting end, a flint Wheelrotatably mounted on the lighting end, means to hold a hint against said wheel, a rod slidably mounted in the casing and extending longitudinally thereof, said rod projecting beyond the lighting end of the casing, a member pivotedto turn on the same axis as said flint wheel, a one-way connection between said member and the flint wheel whereby when said member moves in one direction it turns said flint wheel to ignite the wick, a spring tending to move the member in such direction, a pawl pivoted on said rod` outside said lighting end having a section engageable with the member tomove it in the opposite. direction against the action of the spring when the rod is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said section on continued movement of the rod moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the fiint wheel to ignite the wick, a second spring acting on said rod to return the same into the casing, said pawl section in such return movement engaging said member and being tilted aside thereby, said pawl having a second section engageable with the lighting end after the first section passes the member in its return movement to tilt the first section to a position to engage said member on the next operating movement of the rod.

8. A lighter comprising an elongated tubular casing containing a fuel reservoir and having a side wall and end walls one of said end walls having projecting from its outer surface only a wick and igniting mechanism, the latter comprising a flint protruding from the casing wall, spaced earsextending from said end wall and a flint wheel rotatably mounted between said ears, a member pivoted to turn on the same axis as said int Wheel, a one-Way connection between said member and the flint wheel, whereby when said member moves in one direction it turns said ilint wheel to ignite the wick, a spring tending to move the member in such direction, an elongated longitudinally reciprocatable element extending through said casing from'one end to the other and having one of its ends projecting through the lighting end wall, a pawl carried upon the outwardly projecting end of said element, said pawl engageable with the member to move it in the opposite direction against the action of the spring when the element is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns the flint wheel to ignite the wick, and means at the handle end of the casing to move said elongated element.

9. A lighter comprisingan elongated tubular casing containing a fuel reservoir and having a side wall and end walls, one of said end walls comprised by a handleV knob for grasping the lighter, the opposite end wall at the lightingv end of the device having projectingl from its outer surface only a wick and igniting mechanism, the latter comprising a flint protruding from the casing wall, spaced ears extending from said end wall and a flint wheel rotatably mounted between said ears, a sheet metal member bent to a,A U- shaped conguration having its arms pivotally supported between said ears to turn about the same axis as said int Wheel, a one-Way connectionbetween said member and the iiint wheel, whereby when said member moves in one direction it turns said iiint wheel toignite the wick, aA spring tending to move the member in such direction, an elongated longitudinally reciprocatable element extending through said casing from one end to the other and having one of its ends projectingthrough thelighting end wall, a pawl pivotally mounted upon the outwardly projecting end of said element, saidpawlengageable within a notch in the base portion of the U- shaped member to move said member in the oppositev direction against the action of the spring when the element is pushed outwardly from the lighting end, said pawl on continued movement of the element moving apart from the member to release the same so that said spring moves the member and turns thelint wheel to ignite the wick, and means at the handle end of the casing engageable by the thumb when two adjacent fingers grip the knob portion of the lighter to move the rod.

wall and end Walls, one of said end wallscom` prised by a handle knob for grasping the lighter, the opposite end wall at .thef lighting endrof the'. device having'projectingfromits outer-surface only` a. wick and igniting mechanism, the latter comprisingna flint protruding from theV casing wall, spaced ears extending from said'endfwall and a int wheel rotatably mountedbetween s'ai'dl ears, a member pivoted' to turnv on the same axis as said int wheel, a one-way. connection between said member and the flint said member moves in one flint to ignite the wick, a spring tending direction it turns said to move the memberin such direction, an elongated lonf gitudinally reciprocatable element.v extending through said casing -trom one end to the other and havingone of its ends projecting through the lighting end wall, a pawl carried upon the outwardly projecting end of said element, said pawl engageable with the member tovmove it in the opposite direction against the action ofthe spring when the element is pushed outwardly from thek lighting end, said pawl on continued movement moving apart. from the member to re-i lease the same so that member and turns the flint Wheel to ignite the wick, and means at the handle` end of the casing to move said elongated element. Y f

-g IRVINGl FLORMAN. 4.

lighter or the like comprisingV a wheel, whereby whenv said spring moves thel 

